Long-term vision seen as helping Slavia reach Champions League for only second time

Slavia Prague have qualified for the Champions League for only the second
time ever and the first time in 12 years. But how have Slavia put
themselves in a position to take on some of the biggest clubs in world
football?

Photo: ČTK/Kateřina Šulová
Slavia Prague regularly finished off the pace in the Czech league for the
best part of a decade but this May clinched the title for the second time
in only three years.

The club also secured their first domestic double in many decades and
reached the last eight in the second-tier Europa League.

Now Slavia, owned by Chinese company Sinobo, have gone a step further by
reaching the lucrative Champions League, for only the second time in their
history and the first time since 2007–2008.

On Wednesday night they overcame Romania’s Cluj 1:0 in Prague, repeating
the score of the first leg of their final qualifying round tie.

The only goal of the game came from defender Jan Bořil:

Jan Bořil, photo: ČTK/Kateřina Šulová“Everybody laughs at me for not scoring and says that if I do shoot,
it
ends up in row 50. People said I’d keep it back for such an important
game, and that’s how it worked out. It’s a wonderful feeling. It’s
the reason we play and work hard all season. Now we’re looking forward to
the draw and the group stage, but it won’t end there – we want to have
success in the group.”

But how have Slavia put themselves in a position to do so well both
domestically and at the European level?

Englishman Chris Boothroyd runs a blog about Czech football:

“They’ve given time for the project, which if you look at Plzeň,
that’s what they gave Pavel Vrba at the initial outset of his reign –
and he got Plzeň into the Champions League on a semi-regular basis.

“Slavia, coming with all the Chinese money, planned for the playing
style
and have stuck with it and kept at it, and last season and this season
we’re seeing that they’re definitely getting the rewards for that on a
continental level, as well as domestically.

“There’s a canny transfer policy built into that as well, keeping
hold
of players like Tomáš Souček.

“I think a couple of years ago he would have been sold for
effectively a
pittance, whereas now they’re in a position of strength where they can
say, Look, it’s going to be EUR 10 million at minimum before they can
release him.”

Boothroyd says coming third in the four-team group, and therefore going
into the Europa League early next year, would be an accomplishment for
Slavia:

Photo: ČTK/Kateřina Šulová“If they get the odd point off the teams in pot one and two, I think
that
would be considered a monumental success and achievement.

“But yes, just not to disgrace themselves and they’re definitely
in
with a good shout of finishing third.

“And if they are in European competition post-Christmas then I think
it
will go down as one of the most successful seasons in quite a
while.”

Slavia will find out their opponents in the Champions League in a draw that
takes place at 18:00 CET.